CHITAMBO PF member of parliament Remember Mutale says he saves the money he gets from Parliament and then donates them to his constituents, adding that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) should follow him if it has questions to ask him.
Last week, a video circulated on social media in which over 100 Chitambo residents had lined up to get some money and sachets of mealie-meal from Mutale.
When asked where he was getting that kind of money, Mutale said from allowances.
“I am a member of parliament and I give my people my money so what is the problem? I give people money, food, clothes, I give them a lot of things so you cannot be calling me over money. I get allowances from parliament, I keep money and I give them. It is not a campaign period I am free to give handouts to my people. Do you ever call (Foreign Affairs Minister Joe) Malanji to ask him where he gets money from? I don’t want to be asked questions. Let ACC follow me if they have questions with me,” said Mutale in an interview.
Several PF Ministers have been donating huge sums of cash to their constituents as gifts ahead of this year’s general election.
Recently, Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo donated K300,000 cash to Kabushi residents for the constructions of Kapalala market saying it was a gift from President Edgar Lungu.
In June last year, he also splashed out K400,000 to taxi drivers in Kabushi constituency, among other donations, despite not having any known source of income prior to being elected as area member of parliament in 2016.
NKana PF member of parliament Alexander Chiteme last year donated K50,000 cash to freedom fighters in his constituency.
Aside from Chiteme’s K50,000 to freedom fighters in his constituency, Kwacha PF member of parliament Joseph Malanji donated K140,000 on the same day to St. Peter’s Parish in Ipusukilo Compound in Kitwe for the construction and completion of various infrastructure at the Church.
Malanji, equally handed over a brand new luxury Rosa Bus to traders under the National Traders and Marketers Association of Zambia (NATMAZ) in the same area.
Some members of the public have, however, repeatedly questioned where government officials had found such huge sums of cash.